People still worship Odin and Zues, though the practices are different, people still believe. (I do.) And yet my religion is being written off as myth and I am called foolish and stupid for believing. Would anyone care to explain.

At 6/2/2015 7:34:57 PM, Faoilitiama wrote:People still worship Odin and Zues, though the practices are different, people still believe. (I do.) And yet my religion is being written off as myth and I am called foolish and stupid for believing. Would anyone care to explain.

It's actually Zeus. You are called foolish because belief in any gods without evidence is foolish.

Hint: We now know how thunder and lightning occur in nature.

Fu-Ming: "So explain to us how wasps look like wasps 100 million years later. I'll wait".
Me: What part of the theory of evolution states that a species must change? I'll wait.
Fu-Ming: *crickets*

At 6/2/2015 7:34:57 PM, Faoilitiama wrote:People still worship Odin and Zues, though the practices are different, people still believe. (I do.) And yet my religion is being written off as myth and I am called foolish and stupid for believing. Would anyone care to explain.

It's actually Zeus. You are called foolish because belief in any gods without evidence is foolish.Do you have proof that they don't exist? It would be foolish to ridicule someone if you yourself have no proof.

Hint: We now know how thunder and lightning occur in nature.

You know what causes lightning, but do you really know what lightning is? Obviously it is electricity, but does anyone honestly know what electricity is?

At 6/2/2015 7:34:57 PM, Faoilitiama wrote:People still worship Odin and Zues, though the practices are different, people still believe. (I do.) And yet my religion is being written off as myth and I am called foolish and stupid for believing. Would anyone care to explain.

It's actually Zeus. You are called foolish because belief in any gods without evidence is foolish.Do you have proof that they don't exist? It would be foolish to ridicule someone if you yourself have no proof.

Hint: We now know how thunder and lightning occur in nature.

You know what causes lightning, but do you really know what lightning is? Obviously it is electricity, but does anyone honestly know what electricity is?

According to a quick google search, electricity is "a form of energy resulting from the existence of charged particles (such as electrons or protons), either statically as an accumulation of charge or dynamically as a current.".

"By all means let's be open-minded, but not so open-minded that our brains drop out."
-Richard Dawkins
"The onus is on you to say why; the onus is not on the rest of us to say why not."
-Richard Dawkins

At 6/2/2015 7:34:57 PM, Faoilitiama wrote:People still worship Odin and Zues, though the practices are different, people still believe. (I do.) And yet my religion is being written off as myth and I am called foolish and stupid for believing. Would anyone care to explain.

I do not feel as though you are stupid or foolish merely for believing in Odin/Zeus, but since your belief is without evidence, there is simply no credibility to any claims that these beings exist. I would like to establish that this is nothing against you, but merely the belief system you have chosen.

"By all means let's be open-minded, but not so open-minded that our brains drop out."
-Richard Dawkins
"The onus is on you to say why; the onus is not on the rest of us to say why not."
-Richard Dawkins

At 6/2/2015 7:34:57 PM, Faoilitiama wrote:People still worship Odin and Zeus, though the practices are different, people still believe. (I do.) And yet my religion is being written off as myth and I am called foolish and stupid for believing. Would anyone care to explain.

All faiths are under scrutiny in the modern world, Faoilitiama. There are people calling any faith mythical and stupid -- including people of other faiths.

However, you're right that paganism and neopaganism are not well-respected. In part, I think it's because the religious (especially monotheists) consider it superseded by 'better' faith (philosophically and morally.)

But I think it's also because the values and cultural contributions of polytheism aren't well-socialised outside places where they dominate (particularly India.) I think there's a sense among Atlantic civilisations that pagan worship isn't terribly authentic or insightful, and that neopaganism is idealised, a countercultural affectation.

While it's easy to argue that all religions should be tolerated, that's not an argument that all should be respected. There may be an opportunity here for you on DDO to argue what is worthy of respect about a specific kind of polytheism -- not simply why it's the moral or intellectual or equal of monotheistic faiths, but in what ways it might offer perspectives or moral insights that monotheism or secularism can't offer -- and what benefits (if any) those perspectives or insights might afford.

I imagine such argument might receive scrutiny and critique, but it might also be satisfying to make it.

At 6/2/2015 7:34:57 PM, Faoilitiama wrote:People still worship Odin and Zues, though the practices are different, people still believe. (I do.) And yet my religion is being written off as myth and I am called foolish and stupid for believing. Would anyone care to explain.

I'm wondering the same exact thing. Both older and newer (relatively) religions have many of their core aspects (we know that lightening comes from charged particles and we know that the Earth was certainly not created in 7 days) explained by secularist methods yet most older religions are considered myths while newer ones are still used as reasons for a decisions (sometimes even political ones).

At 6/2/2015 7:34:57 PM, Faoilitiama wrote:People still worship Odin and Zues, though the practices are different, people still believe. (I do.) And yet my religion is being written off as myth and I am called foolish and stupid for believing. Would anyone care to explain.

It's actually Zeus. You are called foolish because belief in any gods without evidence is foolish.Do you have proof that they don't exist? It would be foolish to ridicule someone if you yourself have no proof.

Hint: We now know how thunder and lightning occur in nature.

You know what causes lightning, but do you really know what lightning is? Obviously it is electricity, but does anyone honestly know what electricity is?

Yes!It's white/blue mangatoid in a carilillion sheath.

"In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act".

At 6/2/2015 7:34:57 PM, Faoilitiama wrote:People still worship Odin and Zues, though the practices are different, people still believe. (I do.) And yet my religion is being written off as myth and I am called foolish and stupid for believing. Would anyone care to explain.

It's actually Zeus. You are called foolish because belief in any gods without evidence is foolish.Do you have proof that they don't exist? It would be foolish to ridicule someone if you yourself have no proof.

Hint: We now know how thunder and lightning occur in nature.

You know what causes lightning, but do you really know what lightning is? Obviously it is electricity, but does anyone honestly know what electricity is?

Yes!It's white/blue mangatoid in a carilillion sheath.

My question was not for the description of the dagger used by you to troll people endlessly in the back. But thanks anyways. Maybe now I'll better see it coming.

At 6/2/2015 7:34:57 PM, Faoilitiama wrote:People still worship Odin and Zues, though the practices are different, people still believe. (I do.) And yet my religion is being written off as myth and I am called foolish and stupid for believing. Would anyone care to explain.

ALL religions are human productions, imo. There is absolutely no evidence that any deity exists, however much some people of faith would have you believe there is.

"By all means let's be open-minded, but not so open-minded that our brains drop out."
-Richard Dawkins
"The onus is on you to say why; the onus is not on the rest of us to say why not."
-Richard Dawkins

At 6/2/2015 7:34:57 PM, Faoilitiama wrote:People still worship Odin and Zues, though the practices are different, people still believe. (I do.) And yet my religion is being written off as myth and I am called foolish and stupid for believing. Would anyone care to explain.

It's actually Zeus. You are called foolish because belief in any gods without evidence is foolish.

Hint: We now know how thunder and lightning occur in nature.

I said that the worship has changed, and so have some of the beliefs. If you are an atheist why are you looking at religious forums?

At 6/2/2015 7:34:57 PM, Faoilitiama wrote:People still worship Odin and Zues, though the practices are different, people still believe. (I do.) And yet my religion is being written off as myth and I am called foolish and stupid for believing. Would anyone care to explain.

It's actually Zeus. You are called foolish because belief in any gods without evidence is foolish.

Hint: We now know how thunder and lightning occur in nature.

I said that the worship has changed, and so have some of the beliefs. If you are an atheist why are you looking at religious forums?

He is looking at religious forums because religion has a large affect on the world around us. It is also rather odd to say that you are not being taken seriously, then turn around on another group and imply that they shouldn't be able to speak about a certain topic.

"By all means let's be open-minded, but not so open-minded that our brains drop out."
-Richard Dawkins
"The onus is on you to say why; the onus is not on the rest of us to say why not."
-Richard Dawkins

At 6/2/2015 7:34:57 PM, Faoilitiama wrote:People still worship Odin and Zues, though the practices are different, people still believe. (I do.) And yet my religion is being written off as myth and I am called foolish and stupid for believing. Would anyone care to explain.

That is too kewl, got any links to Zeus worship oriented websites?

Marrying a 6 year old and waiting until she reaches puberty and maturity before having consensual sex is better than walking up to
a stranger in a bar and proceeding to have relations with no valid proof of the intent of the person. Muhammad wins. ~ Fatihah
If they don't want to be killed then they have to subdue to the Islamic laws. - Uncung
There would be peace if you obeyed us.~Uncung
Without God, you are lower than sh!t. ~ SpiritandTruth

At 6/2/2015 7:34:57 PM, Faoilitiama wrote:People still worship Odin and Zues, though the practices are different, people still believe. (I do.) And yet my religion is being written off as myth and I am called foolish and stupid for believing. Would anyone care to explain.

Don't get your knickers in a knot, a growing number of us consider all religions and the gods they create are mythical and their adherents childish and stupid.

"In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act".

At 6/2/2015 7:34:57 PM, Faoilitiama wrote:People still worship Odin and Zues, though the practices are different, people still believe. (I do.) And yet my religion is being written off as myth and I am called foolish and stupid for believing. Would anyone care to explain.

It's actually Zeus. You are called foolish because belief in any gods without evidence is foolish.

Hint: We now know how thunder and lightning occur in nature.

I said that the worship has changed, and so have some of the beliefs.

Since you haven't provided details, are we supposed to read your mind?

If you are an atheist why are you looking at religious forums?

What prevents me and why do you seem to consider it a problem?

Fu-Ming: "So explain to us how wasps look like wasps 100 million years later. I'll wait".
Me: What part of the theory of evolution states that a species must change? I'll wait.
Fu-Ming: *crickets*

At 6/2/2015 7:34:57 PM, Faoilitiama wrote:People still worship Odin and Zues, though the practices are different, people still believe. (I do.) And yet my religion is being written off as myth and I am called foolish and stupid for believing. Would anyone care to explain.

Yes...some people still do worship Odin and Zeus. And for all I know, Thor and Spiderman and Baal. And Yahweh.

You never stated your religion. Or which God you worshipped? I am assuming the God of Abraham? Yahweh?

Well...yes, atheists and some agnostics like myself DO write ALL those gods of as Myths. But that is only our opinions. You have the right to worship whom you desire.

It is not just your religion that some of the more ardent atheists "write-off as stupid." they would also write-off Zeus and Odin worshippers as well. So rest assured that you ate not being discriminated against. Atheists are equal opportunity discriminators when it comes to folks who worship entities they feel are merely facets of ancient superstitions.

I have no problems with it myself, so long as they keep their beliefs, which, yes, I DO feel can be a tad silly at times, out of my lifestyle. And out of my government and places of business. And my schools.

But other than that, worship on, amigo! I equate Yahweh with Hebrew Mythology. No different at the end of the day--insofar as veracity is concerned--with Greek Mythology.

And indeed: my Bible at home sits on the same shelf, right next to my "Signet's Guide to Greek Mythology."

At 6/2/2015 7:34:57 PM, Faoilitiama wrote:People still worship Odin and Zues, though the practices are different, people still believe. (I do.) And yet my religion is being written off as myth and I am called foolish and stupid for believing. Would anyone care to explain.

It's actually Zeus. You are called foolish because belief in any gods without evidence is foolish.Do you have proof that they don't exist? It would be foolish to ridicule someone if you yourself have no proof.

Hint: We now know how thunder and lightning occur in nature.

You know what causes lightning, but do you really know what lightning is? Obviously it is electricity, but does anyone honestly know what electricity is?

Yep.

Electricity is the rapid movement of electrons, either in a field--as in an EMF--or along a specified conduit.

At 6/2/2015 7:34:57 PM, Faoilitiama wrote:People still worship Odin and Zues, though the practices are different, people still believe. (I do.) And yet my religion is being written off as myth and I am called foolish and stupid for believing. Would anyone care to explain.

It's actually Zeus. You are called foolish because belief in any gods without evidence is foolish.Do you have proof that they don't exist? It would be foolish to ridicule someone if you yourself have no proof.

Hint: We now know how thunder and lightning occur in nature.

You know what causes lightning, but do you really know what lightning is? Obviously it is electricity, but does anyone honestly know what electricity is?

Yep.

Electricity is the rapid movement of electrons, either in a field--as in an EMF--or along a specified conduit.

It's "power" can be measured in either amps or volts. Or joules.

What else ya wanna know, amigo?

LOL

I would like to know just what exactly is electricity. Dig deeper. You haven't explained anything yet that isn't already known.

At 6/2/2015 7:34:57 PM, Faoilitiama wrote:People still worship Odin and Zues, though the practices are different, people still believe. (I do.) And yet my religion is being written off as myth and I am called foolish and stupid for believing. Would anyone care to explain.

Anyone in particular calling you foolish and stupid for believing? Theists in general, other polytheists, monotheists, etc...?

OK...well, I am thinking that by "digging deeper" you probably mean to get past the science, and that you are looking for more of a metaphysical (beyond mere physics) answer?

I am not sure.

I CAN say that some of the prime aspects of electricity are misunderstood. Or misnamed.

For example. electrons are not packets of energy. Of course an electron, floating through a conductor has some (ignorable) kinetic energy, but its speed and mass are very tiny. The energy is a result of the electric potential in the surroundings of the electron (where am I in this electric field ). So when the electron travels against the electric field, it will loose energy, which is changed into heat in the bulb (high resistance U94; high field-strengh U94; high loss of energy per mm ). The electron does not deliver its energy at arrival, but when passing a voltage drop.

too.......I love elctricity..it is a hobby of mine. I am currently trying to build a Tesla Coil that me and my band can use as a part of our stage shows. But we may be straying too far off-topic and hijacking this dude's thread.

If you want to discuss Electricity further, perhaps we can begin a thread on the Science Forum? Let me know.